Chapter 45
Aidan?
Ronald bared his teeth and turned to face his new opponent.
“You?” he snarled. He remembered the Fallardston coach.
Aidan laced his fingers together and swung his double fist against Prince Ronald’s face, sending him staggering across the deck to the ship’s rail, his nose streaming blood. Aidan followed quickly, bringing both elbows smashing down onto the bandit prince’s chest.
Our moment of hope was short-lived. Ronald roused himself and met Aidan’s next attack by sliding his legs out from under him. With a roar he dropped onto his knees on Aidan’s belly and set his massive fists pounding Aidan’s chest and face. Aidan kicked to fight him off, and the king lunged forward to help, but Annalise met his move with a bright little dagger pressed into his belly.
“You witch,” the king spat at her. “To think I ever gave you my heart.”
“Silence,” Annalise said.
I sprang to Ronald and flung myself at his back, gripping around his neck with one hand and clawing at his eyes and face with my other. He reached his arms back and plucked me off easily, but that moment’s pause gave Aidan a chance to get back onto his feet. I ran back into the salon to find a weapon, picking my way over groaning bodies. When I returned the tide had turned. Aidan had Ronald backed up against the rail once more, smashing blow after blow on his face and chest.
I handed Aidan the blade I’d found, and he held it to Ronald’s throat.
“Stop!” Annalise cried. “You shall not harm him!”
And then, in a dreadful moment, I realized. The sea had gone calm. We all looked around, stupefied, wondering what it meant.
Bijou reared up in the water and pushed his great body onto the deck of the ship, his nether parts coiling up slowly, wearily, after the head and neck. His face was damaged, haggard, and, I almost thought, grieving.
I searched the water frantically.
Clair! Clair! Where are you?
There was no answer.
Clair! Can you come to me?
And then, most horrible sight, a flash of white, as Clair’s long belly bobbed to the surface, then dipped below again, a white corpse half-submerged, half-floating.
I sank to my knees. Waves of nausea and pain swept over me.
“Evie!” Aidan cried. “What’s happened?”
“Take the young man, Bijou,” Annalise said, not bothering to communicate silently. She was busy tying the king’s hands behind his back with her ripped-off sash. “Hold him at bay while I say good-bye to my sister.”
Bijou snaked golden coils around Aidan and pinned his arms to his sides. Aidan writhed against him, trying to reach me, but his knife clattered to the deck as Bijou’s horned head hovered over him, his fangs wet with venom.
Ronald, flopping over onto the rails, retched into the water.
I collapsed onto the deck, my pulse ringing in my ears.
Clair was gone, and I would soon follow.
“Evie!” Aidan cried. “Evie, wake up!”
All I could see were Annalise’s slippers standing before my eyes.
“Perhaps I am to blame for this, Evelyn,” her voice said, far above me, far away. “I didn’t teach you enough. If I had, you never would have crossed me like this. You are still my sister serpentina, and I will forgive your memory.”
With all my strength I raised my head for a bleary glimpse of her face.
“I will even spare your loyal stonemason,” she said, “for bravely coming to your rescue.” She smirked a little. “That is, if I can persuade Ronnie.”
She knelt and stroked my hair. “Oh, Evelyn, Evelyn,” she said. “I loved you dearly. But I have to love Ronnie more. Someday, you would have understood.”
I lay my cheek back down on the wet deck. Blackness stole around the edges of my vision.
They’ll throw my body into the sea, I thought. At least I’ll be with Clair.
Annalise went to Ronald and exclaimed over his bruises, rubbing and soothing him. He groaned and let himself be ministered to.
Then a voice I thought I’d never hear again sounded in my ears.
“Release the lad and the king, and help the girl,” it said, “or I’ll drive this through the leviathan’s neck. I’ve killed one before, and I’ll do it again.”
I tried and failed to raise my head. “Grandfather?”